Share your diagram creation methods (I recently did NYC MTA Subway trunk line flow charts and wondered how others do it)
Hey Peeps!
I'm really interested in how you guys create your diagrams. We've had plenty questions around the tools used but I'm much more interested in how you approach a new project and the kinda tricks you use to speed up slow processes or make create more unity in design.
I have personally been using Figma for work for a long time so thats what I started out on. Building within a frame and using the pen tool with a stroke for lines, then creating groups for stations and text. The component feature makes conformity a lot easier and changes half way through a project so much faster.
I also did some work on Illustrator using roughly the same process but found the overall work slower, maybe cause I'm just not as fluent with it as Figma. I have since moved on to Affinity designer and created the last couple diagrams on it exclusively, the custom grid snapping really helps with keeping conformity up. One aspect I found difficult is to get the corner radius right for parallel alignments. I've also found it tedious to change paths (for de-cluttering e.g) for multiple lines, as all vectors need editing one at a time. I'm sure there would be a shortcut for that I dont know of.
I have recently started a project on my Ipad using concepts and a smartpen. I could no get the right hang of the workflow so far, maybe I'm just approaching it wrong. I think if diagrams didn't take weeks of work each time, I'd be doing a lot more of them. Sometimes its hard to keep motivated. Naming stations has been one of the longest and most repetitive task of all projects for me.
Looking forward to what you guys have to share. Maybe we can all learn something from all the incredible work that is being shared in here!
Cheers!